The official statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the N10 billion corruption case involving Ali Bello, the new chief of staff to Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State and cousin of former Governor Yahya Bello, is missing.
FIJ clicked on the link to the story on the EFCC website on Thursday but received a “Page not found” response. This statement, however, remains on the EFCC’s social media accounts, such as X.
Ododo, the newly sworn-in governor, announced Bello’s appointment on Saturday.
“Official duty calls,” Bello posted on his Facebook account on Wednesday evening.
Quoting the missing statement, FIJ reported in December 2022 how Bello was remanded for laundering N10 billion.
Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, remanded him and Dauda Sulaiman in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions for their alleged involvement in a N10 billion fraud in 2022.
The EFCC statement that revealed Bello and Sulaiman faced a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering has been scrubbed from the website.
The EFCC statement that revealed Bello and Sulaiman faced a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering has been scrubbed from the website, but it remains on X.
Abdulsalami Hudu, cashier of the Kogi State House Administration, aided the fraudulent activities and fled, according to the EFCC.
“Bello and Sulaiman are accused of fraudulently withdrawing a sum of N10, 270,556,800 from the Kogi State treasury, which they delivered to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Usman Tafada, in Abuja to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains,” the statement read in part.
The EFCC said Bello, Sulaiman and Hudu gave Tafada N5,865,756,800 and N2,509,650,000 at different times between January and December 2021.
“Justice Omotosho admitted the defendants to bail in the sum One Billion Naira each and two sureties who are to provide a bond of N2 billion each and have a landed property valued at N500 million. The title of the properties shall be registered with the chief registrar of the court,” the EFCC stated.
Justice Omotosho sent Bello and Sulaiman to the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
The EFCC held on to Bello in February 2023 for the same money laundering charges, but the fund concerned was N3 billion.
After numerous adjournments, the EFCC’s latest update on Bello’s N3 billion money laundering case on X came in April 2023. The case had once again been adjourned.
On the EFCC’s website, Bello’s case was still described as a N10 billion money laundering case as recently as January 11.
“Ali Bello and two others are standing trial in a N10 billion money laundering case. They were arraigned on December 15, 2022, on 10-count charges bordering on misappropriation and money laundering,” the EFCC stated in January.
“Justice Omotoso, after listening to the submissions of the witness, adjourned the matter till February 5 and 6 for continuation of hearing.”
CREDIT :FIJ